Ever since debuting in 1982, Air Force 1 sneakers continue to push the boundary for fashion and sneaker style. It’s a silhouette that rarely disappoints the sneaker world. Whether it’s a shock value colorway or rare collaboration, AF1’s have solidified their position as one of the top sneakers.

Most Air Force One releases are for the general public to outfit in style, but the line drops gems in between that perform well on the secondary market.

Our Hypemaster Playbook highlights tips and strategies for being able to take advantage of a release such as the “What the NY” AF1 shoe. You could find yourself making thousands of dollars flipping fresh shoes like these.

About the Air Force 1 “What the NY”

Air Force One sneakers are the perfect canvas to deliver unique designs and ideas. From the classic all-white pair to a pair bursting with color like the “What the NY,” you never know what to expect next from the line.

The “What The” series of Nike’s AF1 line is a unique series dedicated to select cities. It’s a special way to commemorate a lot of the familiar sports, teams, textures, and overall vibe of the city, all within the classic Air Force One silhouette.

“What the NY” is a compilation of everything New York. What may seem like a random mix of colors and patterns on the shoe actually has significant meaning to each section if you know NYC.

The Nike Check on one of the shoes is blue with orange stitching, reminiscent of the New York Knicks. The same shoe includes a basketball-style texture on the heel tab. Both shoes represent each of NY’s major sports teams in some way.

AF1 “What the NY” Detail via Sneakernews

Another unique feature is the “New York” writing on each shoe. NYC is known for graffiti art, so the stylized writing on the side and inner soles of the shoes fit perfectly with the theme.

The shoes give you a mix of materials of leather, black denim, and suede.

AF1 “What the NY” Detail 2 via Sneakernews

The “What the NY” follows the concept of the “What the LA” AF1 sneakers that will use the same method of incorporating elements of the city into each shoe.

Release Date

There are several Air Force Ones to look out for in October that could be worth picking up for resell.

The Nike Air Force 1 “What the NY” releases on Thursday, October 17th.

While we’ve had some recent mid and high top AF1’s released, this drop will only include the low top version.

It will be available in all Men’s sizes.

Air Force 1 “What the NY” Retail and Resale Pricing

The AF1 “What the NY” will retail for $130.

Air Force Ones have a wide range of pricing depending on exclusivity. The most common models can retail for $80-90, while some of the rarest AF1 releases can go for over $200 retail. The resell, however, can vary just as much as the retail prices.

“What the NY” will be the first model in the “What The” series based on a city. It will be interesting to see how the demand holds up on the shoes. It can potentially be a huge favorite for sneaker lovers from NY, or a fan of everything about the city, like the shoe represents.

AF1 “What the NY” Pricing via StockX

Even before the official release date, the sneakers are already showing activity in the presale market, anticipating the drop. They are currently selling in the range of $160 on the low end to over $350 on the high end. It’s a good sign that they are already going for more than retail on the secondary market before the release.

Nike has long released “What The” models of different shoes. The popularity of a particular shoe comes from the colors or novelty of the shoes. One of the most successful styles is the Nike SB “What the Dunk,” which uses a combination of colors and textures from previous Nike Dunk shoes. The shoe retailed for $120 when it released back in ’07 but can be resold for upwards of $8,000 today.

Other styles of the “What The” series have included the Nike Air Max, which also have a current resell value of 3-4x their original retail price.

Securing your pair of the “What the NY” sneakers could be smart if you’re willing to hold them for the long-term to resell. The series tends to do best several years after the release before you’ll see lucrative profits after selling them.

While the other sneakers have a novelty-factor of the popularity of the style of sneaker model, the “What the NY” may have a novelty factor of the NY sport’s teams. If the teams are performing well, you could see a spontaneous jump in the price on the resell market.

How to Buy AF1 “What the NY” Sneakers

You can generally walk into your local sneaker shop and find a pair of AF1’s one the shelves, but not for an exclusive pair like the “What the NY.”

These kicks will only be available at select stores from retailers including Footlocker and FinishLine. Be sure to check with your local store to see if they will be stocked if you want to get them in person.

AF1 “What the NY” Aerial View via Sneakernews

Since it’s an NY-influenced sneaker, we can also predict that many of the in-store purchases will be focused on retailers around New York. You’ll most likely have a better chance at finding the shoes locally, or even at boutique sneaker shops.

For the rest of the sneaker collectors outside of New York, you’ll be able to get the shoes online on the release date. Nike.com will stock the shoes and other major retailers. You can also find the shoes on resell sites such as StockX, but expect to pay a premium above the retail price on these sites.

Many of the online sites will release the sneakers at 10:00 am EST. Hop online at this time for the best opportunity to get them at the retail price in case they sell out quickly.

We’re hoping to kickstart your sneaker reselling side hustle so that you can start making some extra money from your love of sneakers like with these upcoming Air Force Ones. Check out or Hypemaster Playbook Guide for details on how you could make big profits from reselling sneakers.

The Air Force 1 “What the NY” is a shoe to look out for. Nike AF1 has featured many colorways dedicated to NYC on individual shoes, but this is the first time that all aspects of the city are found on one shoe.

With the release date rapidly approaching, we’re expecting to get some updates on new photos of the shoe details or even about the demand for the shoe, so be sure to follow us on Instagram to stay updated.